Synthesis of higher alcohols during cider processing

Ciders from two apple cultivars Gloster and Gala, were prepared. Apples wer e crushed and juice was extracted. immediately after crushing or after 24 h of maceration. Juice was allowed to ferment at 15 degrees C and analysed f or higher alcohols and sugars during fermentation. All higher alcohols anal ysed increased during fermentation as a result of yeast activity. More high er alcohols were synthesised in cider made from Gala cultivar than in cider from Gloster:cultivar. Maceration increased the synthesis of iso-amyl alco hol, 2-phenyl ethanol, n-propanol, n-butanol, iso-butanol and methanol. Sen sory evaluation classified cider made from non-macerated Gloster cultivar a s the best followed by non-macerated Gala cultivar and macerated Gala culti var. Sensory evaluation score correlated negatively to the sum of higher al cohols. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.